


Of Homecomings and Second Chances

by MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 20:59:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7986013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy/pseuds/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bert returns to Melbourne with Angela and one of his first stops is a homecoming at Wardlow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Homecomings and Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Whilenotwriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whilenotwriting/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Bombshell & The Ragger: An Unexpected Interlude](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6226756) by [MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy/pseuds/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy). 



> Happy Birthday to [Whilenotwriting](/users/Whilenotwriting/gifts)! I am not sure how I ended up with fluff for you, the queen of angst, but our dear Bert/Angela were just determined to be adorable. The muse, she is very sneaky! Consider this a virtual pavlova. But with all of your moves and criss-crossing around the globe, I think you can appreciate what it's like to go home again. All my love, dear friend!

Dot was knitting in the kitchen. She may be the caretaker of Wardlow at the moment, but she hardly felt like it’s mistress. 

Miss Fisher had been been gone 4 months and three weeks already. Detective Robinson had surprised them all and taken off after her the month before. Well, Dot wasn’t so much surprised he’d wanted to go, she wasn’t so naive as to have missed how much the two cared for each other. She’d just been surprised he’d finally done it! 

And then there was Bert! Albert Johnson had shocked them all when he took the severance payment Miss Fisher had given him and taken off for Sydney after Angela Lombard. Of all people, that red-headed American vamp! Well, Dot and Cec had prepared for the worst. Bert’s track record with women was not particularly strong after all. But then, the two took off for Hawaii together. 

Dot knew it was not her place to judge anyone. It was one of the rare times Father O’Leary and Miss Fisher sounded more alike than different. However, the thought of her Bert getting his heart broken by a not-quite divorced painted Jezebel, made her heart hurt. 

In theory she was supposed to be keeping Mr. Butler company, but she had been so absorbed by her own thoughts she had poured all her focus into her knitting and tuned out everything around her.

“Dorothy.”

Mr. Butler’s soothing voice broke through her ruminating.

“Dorothy, my hands are covered in dough, would you mind?”

“Oh, certainly Mr. Butler. I don’t know what’s come over me today!”

She flew to door and opened it, still focused on apologizing to Mr. Butler instead of the visitor.

“Woah, where’s the fire, Dottie?” She stopped short at the sound of the familiar voice, her knitting needles still an extension of her left hand and just missing the face of the speaker.

“Oh, Bert! Goodness, I’m sorry, I almost took out your eye!”

“You’d hardly be the first Sheila who’d come at me with a sharp object, Dottie! Just glad to see you in the kitchen like always. I was worried you might have become a toff while I was gone eatin’ bon bons in the parlour!”

“Now now, Albert, Miss Fisher may be gone, but Dorothy and I are hardly idle in our pursuits.” Mr. Butler wiped his hands on his apron and made his over to greet the former cabbie.

“Aw, you know I’m just havin’ a bit of fun. ‘Allo there Mr. B.”

“Are you really back Bert? How are you? Is Angela with you? Angela Lombard, Bert? What were you thinking running off like that? Angela Lombard! Are you okay, did she break your heart? Oh, that woman is really capable of anything!”

“Take a breath there, Dot!” Bert wasn’t all that surprised at Dot’s reaction, he had taken off rather quickly once he’d made up his mind to go.

“Dorothy, give him a chance to answer. Perhaps we should sit and have some cocoa?”

“Aw, I have missed your cocoa, that’s for sure! But I don’t have too much time, I have been summoned by Aunt Prudence, and you know how she is about waiting!”

“Well then dinner, tomorrow night with Hugh and me. You simply must come and tell us everything!”

“I’d love to, as long as Angela is welcome to join me.”

Dot was stunned. She wanted to be happy for her friend, but she was utterly shocked at this turn of events. She took a moment to really look at Bert. He looked well, better than well actually. He looked happy. He had often been jovial, but always with a bit of an edge to it. Now there was a spark in his eyes that unmistakeable.

“So it’s true, you are serious about her? And, is she serious about you?”

“Dottie, as crazy as it sounds, yes to both! No one is more shocked than me!”

“Well, then it’s settled, you must  _ both _ come to dinner! Right, Mr. Butler?”

“Yes Dorothy, it’s an excellent idea!”

~~~~

Relax love, it's Dottie and Hugh. You couldn't ask for two nicer people!

Angela, was trying to figure out how to explain to Bert that he was focusing on the exact thing that worried her most. She knew Dot and Bert had a very sister/brother relationship, so she didn't want to screw anything up at dinner. And few in her acquaintance would describe Angela as  _ nice _ .

"Honestly love, I think you're more nervous to meet her than my Aunt K and she practically raised me!"

"You forget Albert, this is not the first time Dot and I have met. I didn’t exactly, make it easy on the kid the last time I saw her. Besides, your Aunt Kristine travels around the world and just about drank me under the table. So any nervousness I had meeting her faded away around that second glass of whatever that mystery hooch was that she was pouring and the story of  _ The Dane _ ."

That made Bert chuckle, which gave him the adorable crinkles around his eyes that made her heart leap and pulse quicken. She didn’t think it possible to fall in love on a daily basis, but there you have it. She adored Albert Johnson with all her heart. Jeez, what a sap she’d become. And never happier.

"No word of a lie, that story gets better every time she tells it! But seriously love, you were on pins and needles before then and by the end of the night you two were singing Swedish drinking songs at Maude’s place. Sure, Dottie was a bit cross after that party on the yacht, but I'm sure she’s let all that go by now. She was so nervous before she and Hugh finally tied the knot. Now that she’s Mrs. Dorothy Collins, she’ll be fine.

Angela wasn’t so sure, but for the sake of Bert she was going to do her best. The dinner invitation did seem like an olive branch of sorts, so Angela vowed to be on her best behavior at dinner. When the cab rolled up to Wardlow, Angela took a deep breath and braced herself for anything.

Bert grabbed her hand as they made their way up the walk. Even though Dot and Hugh had been the caretakers for Wardlow for over 5 months now, Bert still struggled with using the main entrance instead of the kitchen one. Just before Bert started to make his regular turn towards the side of the house, Mr. Butler swung the door wide to greet them. Mr. Johnson and Miss Lombard, right this way. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are waiting for you in the parlour.

“Mr. Johnson, I believe you know the way?”

“Right, thanks Mr. B, come on Angie, love.”

Mr. Butler took care of their coats while Bert led Angela to the parlour. Dot came rushing up as she heard them approach. “Bert, I am so glad you are home! Although, I should be very cross with you for stealing away like that with nothing but a note left with Cec.” She’d given him hug to start with, but gently smacked his arm with her last statement.

“Aw Dottie, I doubt you’ll be cross when you see the treats we brought you! And look at you Hugh, marriage agrees with you for sure!“ The two men shook hands vigorously and exchanged warm smiles. To be sure, Hugh seemed more surefooted and steady than he had before their wedding.

“Dot, you remember Angela Lombard, I’m sure?”

“Of course, Miss Lombard, so good to see you again.” Dottie was all politeness, if a bit strained.

“I don’t believe you had a chance to meet my husband, Senior Constable, Hugh Collins.” The pride she felt in Hugh was palpable. 

Hugh stepped forward to shake Angela’s hand. “Miss Lombard, I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s lovely to meet you.”

“I won’t pretend what you heard was all good, but it’s real swell of the two of you to have me over, anyway.”

They both laughed a bit nervously. 

“And hey, I’m sorry if my comments on the yacht got to you. For what it’s worth, I did actually mean it as a compliment. I don’t think dames should be punished for being public about their affections. You two were engaged at the time of that silly photo and here you are, happily married. So, as far as I’m concerned the laughs on them!”

Hugh reached out to hold his wife’s hand, standing behind her protectively. 

“Thank you Miss. You couldn’t have known at the time how much pain that caused for both Dottie and me with our parents, so it wouldn’t be fair to hold a grudge, I suppose. Right, Dottie?”

He smiled reassuringly at her and cocked his head expectedly. Dot looked at him, then at Bert before she drew in a big sigh and finally looked Angela Lombard in the eye.

“I suppose in some ways that does sound like something Miss Fisher would have said. And, it wasn’t your fault that silly photo was taken, so I guess, if I am going to be upset with someone it should be that snake photographer.”

“You’ll get no arguments from me on that point! So, what do you say we start over? First, you can start by calling me Angela. Now, what would you say if I was just another gal Albert here was bringing to dinner?”

Dot and Hugh exchanged a look and both made very poor attempts at hiding their amusement at the question.

“Well, Angela, I suppose it would start with us picking our jaws up off the floor.”

“Oiy! You are going to give my Angie the wrong idea about me.” He sounded gruff but he couldn’t keep the smile from his eyes and there was even a bit of a blush if you knew the signs to watch for, which both Dot and Angela did. 

“Don’t worry Albert, you aren't getting rid of me that easily.” 

In any other company she would have then grabbed his ass and kissed him passionately. Bert was pleasantly surprised and only mildly disappointed that she chose instead to give him a chaste kiss on his cheek. The idea that she and Dot might actually get along had him releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He grinned at Angela and she grinned right back.

The domesticity of the moment caused Dot and Hugh to exchange surprised looks. Neither had seen that level of intense intimacy since Jack and Phryne had left for England. 

“Well, now that that’s sorted out, you must tell us everything. You’ve had so many adventures these past few months and there is so much to catch up on here!”

And just like that, Mr. Butler arrived with a tray of cocktails and the four settled in for what would become the first of many dinners.

  
  



End file.
